


Risk

by often_adamanta



Series: On the Square Universe [4]
Category: Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-06-05
Updated: 2005-06-05
Packaged: 2017-10-22 06:23:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/234867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/often_adamanta/pseuds/often_adamanta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Beta'd by the amazing <span class="ljuser ljuser-name_dianadisaster"><a href="http://dianadisaster.livejournal.com/profile"><img/></a><a href="http://dianadisaster.livejournal.com/"><b>dianadisaster</b></a></span></p>
    </blockquote>





	Risk

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by the amazing [](http://dianadisaster.livejournal.com/profile)[**dianadisaster**](http://dianadisaster.livejournal.com/)

There is something wrong very wrong with me, Elijah thinks for the hundredth time. His eyes are glued to the couple exiting the theater, Orlando’s laugh clear above the crowd. Orli can’t see him from where he’s standing in a shaded alcove, and it makes him feel like he’s hiding, but he’s not. He’s waiting outside the bathroom for Angie. He has a perfectly good explanation for where he is.

Even if he doesn’t have one for the reason his eyes refuse to leave Orlando tonight.

Orli casually touches his date, and Elijah has to fight the urge to walk up the guy and hit him. Which, besides being a bad idea just from the sheer size of the man, is not like Elijah at all.

Angie returns from the bathroom, walks up behind Elijah, wraps her arms around him and rests her head on his shoulder, familiar, comfortable. He leans back into her as she follows his gaze, landing unsurprisingly on Orlando. A shallow, secret smile tugs at her lips.

“He’s very handsome,” Angie observes.

“What?” Elijah asks vaguely, obviously not listening.

“Orlando.” She feels tension snap into Elijah’s frame at the name, attention with her now. “He’s very handsome.”

“If you say so,” Elijah mumbles, squashing down ‘handsome doesn’t do him justice’, which is what enters his brain first.

“It’s about time he found somebody, don’t you think?”

“I guess.” Orli has made his way through the crowd in the lobby and the doors and walks toward home with his date. A small frown digs itself into Elijah’s forehead, counterpart to the uneasiness burrowing through his stomach.

“Are you upset” and Elijah’s mouth moves automatically to form the word ‘no’, to lie, but Angie continues “that you missed your chance?” and he chokes off. He looks at her from the corner of his eye, sees painted eyelashes, straight chestnut hair and skin as pale as his own. Everyone tells them what a striking couple they make.

“What?”

“Are you upset that you missed your chance?” She repeats, despite the fact that Elijah clearly doesn’t mean ‘please repeat what you just said’.

“I… I… my chance?” Elijah finishes finally.

“To be with him.”

“Is this a joke?” he asks, and Angie can tell that if it was, he is not amused.

“No.”

“Then what are you talking about?”

“Elijah. Honey. You can’t take your eyes off him, and I’m not just talking about tonight. You talk about him constantly. You make up silly excuses to go and see him. You actually look forward to those stupid business owner meetings because he’s there. You are absolutely, completely, and undeniably head over heels for the boy next door.”

“I…” he says again, meaning to deny it, because ‘undeniably’ his ass, but the words don’t come, and he’s floundering as his brain tries to ignore every part of him screaming that she’s right. “But…”

Angie sighs. “I can’t keep this up anymore, Elijah. I’m tired of the way you watch him instead of me and waiting for you to leave me.” Angie’s hand tightens on her purse to prevent her from reaching out to him. He looks so small and alone. “I’m going home. Decide what you want, Elijah.” She smiled sadly. “I love you.”

She turned and walked away. “Angie?” Elijah called out after her.

“Go talk to him,” she says firmly and is gone.

\-----

Elijah doesn’t go and talk to Orli, though. He sits on the grass in front of the courthouse and watches everyone leave until the last person locks the doors. Then he stares at the sky, not looking at the bookstore half a block away, not thinking about what could be going on if Orli had decided to invite the man inside.

He tells himself that he’s afraid to interrupt something, but really he feels a need to look at the situation rationally, without lying to himself like he’s been doing for months. He feels the need to sleep on it, or some similar thing, to keep him from doing something rash or stupid.

He could go back home, but Angie will be there, ready to administer the kick to his ass he probably deserves. Instead, he lets himself into his shop and makes a cup of coffee. The familiar warmth does nothing to calm him, and his mind flits about nervously, remembering selling Orlando this same kind the day before.

In the end, Elijah goes into the office and throws himself into paperwork to distract himself.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted at livejournal [here](http://often-adamanta.livejournal.com/76337.html).


End file.
